How do all five senses contribute to the experience of taste? Where, exactly, does flavor come from? Delve deeper into the world of taste on yesterday's episode of Taste Matters, when JBF's Mitchell Davis was joined by neuroscientist Gordon Murray Shepherd, who performs experimental and theoretical research on how neurons are organized into microcircuits that carry out the functional operations of the nervous system. Listen below as the pair explores the concept of neurogastronomy, the science behind how we perceive taste:

After a long winter here on the East coast, it finally feels safe to put away the soup pot and the braising pan and start eyeing the spring produce that's begun to appear at our local farmers' markets. Here are some of the recipes we'll be making to celebrate the better-late-than-never arrival of spring:

Now that the 2013 James Beard Awards are a wrap, it's time for me to hit the road. Next week I'm heading to Chicago for the National Restaurant Association Show, where I will join restaurateur Rohini Dey, chef Mary Sue Milken, chef Lorena Garcia, and moderator/Chicago Sun-Times' Splash editor Susanna Negovan for a panel called "Secrets of Success From Top Women in Food" on Tuesday. I'm so excited to discuss my experiences in this industry, and to also share some news about what our Foundation is doing to help women move up in the culinary world.

James Beard was well known as a supporter and friend of influential women chefs, cookbook authors, and food personalities including Julia Child, M. F. K. Fisher, and Alice Waters. He relished the fact that women were carving a distinct place for themselves in professional kitchens around the country. In the decades since his passing, we’ve seen the rise of many female culinary... Read more >

In this recipe from Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria's Justin Smillie, granola trades in its Birkenstocks for a pair of Ferragamos. After toasting his maple and orange juice–sweetened granola in the oven, Smillie sprinkes it on top of baguette slices topped with creamy ricotta, verdant sugar snaps, and fresh mint. Be sure to use a high-quality cheese.